o' them verming afore this."

"Faith, I think we've sucksaided in bamboozling thim, shure enough."

The meat by this time showed sufficiently done; and the two men applied
themselves to eating, with an earnestness that allowed no time for
talking. The conversation had revealed enough of their past actions,
and future designs, to confirm the conjectures I had already formed
about them.

As stated, they had both belonged to the "Rangers" of immortal memory.
After the disbandment of the corps, they had entered upon a fresh lease
of soldier-life, by enlisting into the regular army. O'Tigg had given
preference to the sky-blue of the "line;" while the Yankee had taken to
the mounted rifles--as a capital marksman, like him, would naturally do.
Indeed, it would have been impossible to have "licked" the latter into
anything like soldierly shape; and all the drill-sergeants in creation
could not have made him stand with "toes turned in," or "eyes right."
To have "dressed" the old ranger in line would have been a physical
impossibility. In the mounted rifles, personal appearance is of less
importance; and considering the little inclination there is to enlist in
the American army--especially in times of peace--the oddest looking
article is thankfully accepted. In the dearth of recruits. Sure-shot
could have had no difficulty in passing inspection.

Both had evidently become tired of their respective services. The
routine of a frontier post is of itself sufficient to produce the
deadliest _ennui_; and the Californian attraction had "capped the
climax." The temptation was too strong for either Yankee or Hibernian
nature to resist; and these worthy types of both had taken French-leave
of the fort. It was thus that I epitomised the recent history of my old
_camarados_. As they were evidently aware of the caravan being in the
advance, and had been following it, it was easily conjectured that Fort
Smith--a military post on the Arkansas opposite Van Buren--had been the
scene of their defection. Very likely, they had kept near the train all
along the route--with a view to guidance and partial protection--as also
for a _dernier ressort_ to which they might betake themselves in case of
their stores giving out. The escort, hinted at, would be sufficient to
account for their not being in closer communication with the caravan.

It appeared, they had been so far fortunate in escaping an encounter
with Indians; but this, as in our